Lead Poisoning in Children
Name
Institution
Lead Poisoning in Children
Introduction
Lead poisoning is among the most common childhood illnesses that originate from a toxic environment. The widespread use of lead by humanity is due to its characteristics, including a low melting point and its ability to combine with other metals in the formation of alloys. Approximately 0.6% of the global disease burden is caused by lead poisoning from multiple sources. The purpose of this paper is to analyze lead poisoning in children and its impact on families, special groups, nations, and the globe. The paper will also discuss the programs that have been initiated to address the problem and a community health nurse’s role concerning lead poisoning in children.
Defining lead poisoning
Lead poisoning occurs where there is a lead concentration of 10 micrograms in one deciliter of blood due to lead toxins in the body. The moment lead enters the blood, it is distributed to the brain, liver, kidneys, and bones (World Health Organization, 2019). The teeth and bones store lead as it accumulates over time and is gradually released into the blood stream. Although exposure to lead is preventable, contemporary societies worsen the situation through the extensive use of lead. Thus, it becomes inevitable to avoid environmental contamination and human exposure. Causational factors include mining, smelting, manufacturing, and persistent utilization of leaded paint, gasoline, and aviation fuel (WHO, 2016). Other sources include unregulated cosmetics and medicines.
Risk factors and epidemiology
Scientific evidence indicates that infants and children under 6 years are highly likely to experience the adverse effects of blood levels lower than 10 μg/dL (Hauptman, 2017). It is because their absorption rate is higher and easily come into contact with potentially-contact with dust or water that could be potentially contaminated. Also, a compromised nutritional status among children heightens the risk of lead poisoning as minerals such a calcium and iron help counter the lead poison. Other risk factors include the proximity of residential areas to industries, lead water faucets, and melamine dish usage. In terms of incidence and prevalence (epidemiology), the Center for Diseases and Control Prevention (2019) reveals that between 2012 and 2017, there was a 0.4% increase in the number of children with confirmed Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) ≥ 10 µg/dL. UNICEF (2020) revealed that roughly 800 million children globally have blood lead levels at or above 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL). Almost half of these children reside in South Asia. Ultimately, roughly 11097 children in America below age 6 are affected by lead poisoning annually. Hauptman, Bruccoleri, & Woolf (2017) reveal that approximately 1558 visits to the US emergency department assess the possibility of exposure to lead. A report by the World Economic Forum (2020) reveals that one out of three children is at risk of exposure to lead poisoning.
How do children get lead poisoning?
Children get lead poisoning when it is passed to them as unborn babies from their mothers. Pregnant women exposed to lead from industries close to residential areas can transfer it to their unborn babies (CDC, 2020). Parents working in specific industries may unknowingly expose their children by bringing them home. For instance, a father whose work station contains lead-based paint could carry the dust home through his clothes. According to Warniment, Tsang, & Galazka (2010), children get lead poisoning from living in a home constructed before 1978. It is because the houses contain lead-based paint on the exterior and interior. It is worth noting that the hazard is worse when the house is older as the paint will be peeling and releasing dust. Children also get lead poisoning from drinking tap water. The contamination of water occurs when water is transported to taps from treatment facilities (Warniment, Tsang, & Galazka (2010). Older homes and municipal water lines may still have lead-containing lines as replacing the lines is costly and voluntary. Food can be contaminated with lead from pottery containing lead, especially in dishes sourced from countries like India and Latin America. Children can get lead poisoning through inhaling airborne lead from vehicle exhausts and smoke from burning lead-containing waste (WHO, 2010). Welding can produce fine particles that can easily be absorbed into a child’s respiratory tract. Lastly, children can get lead poisoning from playing in lead-contaminated soil through dust from lead paint.
Impact of child lead poisoning
Extreme lead poisoning may culminate in convulsions, coma, or even death. Low levels of exposure to lead poisoning can lead to anemia, renal impairment, toxicity to reproduction organs, and impede brain development (WHO, 2019). Children who survive lead poisoning may be left with irreversible mental retardation and behavioral disorders hence an IQ reduction. Lead poisoning in children affects their families, both psychologically and financially. Swinburn (2016) asserts that the immediate treatment costs associated with lead poisoning are roughly $ 271,000 annually. Also, there are regular costs required for the continuous treatment of cognitive disability. Families are subjected to psychological trauma and stress from seeing their children’s health deteriorate. Effects of child lead poisoning on the community include a rise in the crime rate. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (2008), lead exposure among children increased aggression while reducing impulse control and IQ. As the children grow into adults, they may be involved in violent crimes, which poses a danger to the community. Specific groups likely to be affected include nurse practitioners, special education practitioners. Mental retardation and slow brain development among lead-poisoned children increase the burden on special education practitioners (Binns, 2015). They have to develop programs that are suitable for children with cognitive disorders. Nurse practitioners are forced to reinforce their approaches by initiating programs for early detection and preventive education. Also, nurses are faced with the challenge of health promotion by applying evidence-based approaches to help victims of lead poisoning. Lead poisoning in children has affected the USA in various ways, including the loss in economic productivity. A loss of IQ due to lead exposure reduces the populations’ ability to become productive (Schultz, 2016). Consequently, the GDP of America and other nations is affected. Moreover, health systems in America and other countries become overwhelmed by treating children, especially due to the costs involved. America and the entire globe lose its future generations to death, and those that survive are left with physical and mental impairments.
Programs in response to Lead Poisoning
Miracle (2017) asserts that education in lead poisoning awareness programs represents an effective means of educating the public. Additionally, the author emphasizes the viability of statutory regulations, such as the 1970s criminalization of lead gasoline. CDC introduced a program known as Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP), whose objective is to prevent lead exposure in young children by supporting and advising state and local agencies. The program advocates preventing lead poisoning by eliminating lead hazards from the environment and surveillance to eliminate the problem (Ettinger et al., 2019). It is important to note that the stated processes can be replicated because screening represents an effective and versatile method of ascertaining the prevalence, and ultimate prevention, of lead poisoning.
Role of a community health nurse (CHN) in solving the problem
A community health nurse has an obligation to address the public health issue of lead poisoning in children. According to (Heavey, 2016), CHN needs to understand the prevalence levels within an individual community. Basically, the CHN can start by engaging the community from an educational point of view. The CHN must become familiar with causal factors perpetuating the problem by attaining extensive knowledge concerning preventative measures. Nonetheless, CHN can encounter barriers such as language barriers. Cultural barriers can also pose a challenge for CHN. Ultimately, the CHN can overcome such barriers by ensuring that the preliminary groundwork, in relation to the languages, culture, and basic attitudes on health care of the community is considered. Doing so will guarantee the success and effectiveness of the initiative.
Conclusion
In conclusion, lead poisoning in children presents a serious problem for community health care. Therefore, comprehensive health care programs must be initiated to prevent or address this problem. Putting in place, the appropriate measures can help in fighting the battle against lead poisoning in children.
References
Binns, H. J. (2015). Educational interventions for children affected by lead. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services.
Centers for Disease and Control Prevention. (2019). “The National Surveillance Data table.”
Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/data/national.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Children Lead Poisoning Prevention – Populations at higher risk. [online]. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/populations.htm
Ettinger, A. S., Leonard, M. L., & Mason, J. (2019). “CDC’s lead poisoning prevention program:
A long-standing responsibility and commitment to protect children from lead exposure.” Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 25, 5-12. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHH.0000000000000868
Hauptman, M., Bruccoleri, R. & Woolf, D. (2017). “An update on childhood lead poisoning.” Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine,18(3), 181-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpem.2017.07.010
Heavey, E. (2016). “Lead poisoning: When an entire community is exposed.” Nursing2020, 46(9), 28-33. doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000490212.15944.5e
Miracle, V. A. (2017). “Lead poisoning in children and adults.” Dimensions of Critical Care
Nursing, 36(1), 71-73. doi: 10.1097/DCC.0000000000000227
National Bureau of Economic Research (2008). The Impact of Childhood Lead Exposure on Adult Crime. https://www.nber.org/digest/may08/impact-childhood-lead-exposure-adult-crime
Schultz, S. M. (2016). International Implications of Lead Poisoning in School Aged Children. Global Education Review, 3(3).
Swinburn, T. (2016). Costs of Lead Exposure and Remediation in Michigan: Update. Ecology Center, Michigan Network for Children’s Environmental Health
Warniment, C. B., Tsang, K., & Galazka, S. S. (2010). Lead poisoning in children. American Family Physician, 81(6), 751-757.
World Health Organization (2019). “Lead poisoning and health.” Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health
World Health Organization. (2010). Childhood Lead Poisoning. [online]. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/136571/9789241500333_eng.pdf;jsessionid=C775950A721C82F6BA786A7871E27135?sequence=1
UNICEF. (2020). “A third of the world’s children poisoned by lead, new ground breaking analysis says.” Press Release. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/third-worlds-children-poisoned-lead-new-groundbreaking-analysis-says